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Latest Handheld System Plays Famicom Games
roadies writes "Early adopters are sure to import the latest handheld system from overseas. We're not talking about the Sony PSP here fanboys. We are referring to the Pocket Famicom. The pocket famicom has a 2.5" screen. Plug it into a TV and you can play your classics without having dig out your old Nintendo console. It supports standard 60-pin Famicom games, but with a $10 adapter it will play your 72-pin NES games."
I feel compelled to point out that unlicensed portable (and non-portable) systems come out of Hong Kong all of the time. Offhand I can think of Portable NES, SNES, Genesis (before the Nomad), and Dreamcast. There are also unlicensed consoles, usually limited to 8-bit and 16-bit systems. Arguably the 3rd party NES systems were better than the original Nintendo versions: They've lasted a lot longer.
Good stuff, though. Does anyone know of a listing of unofficial systems manufacturers. Is anyone keeping track of this little piece of gaming history?
The ______ Agenda
There have been handheld Famicom clones for years. For instance the GameAxe and TopGuy. According to the same source, this system was announced a year ago but only finally made it to the retail shelves. In any case, it's nothing really *new*.
why would I plunk down $90 US (with the NES cartridge adapter) to play games on the road?
I don't need a signature.
The cheapest color screen palm I could find on Pricewatch was a Zire 31 for $131. Also, to rebuke the grandparent, Famicom games are about 1/4 the size of NES games. In asia, this product is probably far more practical. It's also aimed at people who already have a lot of cartridges and people interested in the "cool" factor of it.
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I'd rather be flamed than ignored.
actually, it's called Pocket Fami, not Pocket Famicom or Nintendo would sue this handheld and it's creators into oblivion.
Hack your mind out of its sandbox.
You have got to be kidding me, right? Playing NES games without a D-pad is an absolutely horrible experience! Secondly, the emulators for the Palm don't run every Famicom or NES game accurately and some games do not even run at all! Third, there is a "geek factor" to owning somewhat obscure grey market hardware. There is more. Many people have only played their NES emulator within the past 5 or so years, so they have forgotten what a real NES is like, but your Palm emulator's sound isn't all that accurate. Other people also claim that the best NES emulator for the Palm, NESem, is still choppy and doesn't already run at full speed.
Furthermore, in order to have a Palm that has a resolution high enough to properly display the NES graphics, you are looking at spending $200, and the best NES emulator for the Palm isn't free and costs $20. So if you still own allot of NES and/or Famicom games, the PocketFami looks like a far more practical option.
The D-pad and the support for Famicom and NES carts is enough difference for most. All the other crap mentioned above just cements the deal.